The Unmaking of a Demon
by oReTA aWaI tsUbAsa
Summary: An exploration of Misaki's thoughts, emotions, and experiences as Usui enters her life and rebuilds what her father broke.
1. The Making of a Demon

**This will probably be the longest (and maybe only) A/N you'll see in the story, so bear with me a little. **

**The whole plotline for this is mainly exploratory rather than** **romance/fluff, but there will be UsuixMisaki parts. Just not Usumi-centric. The plot is meant to run roughly parallel with canon. Additionally, i'm sorry if the backstory seems a bit over-dramatic. I just felt that if this incident changed Misaki so much, there has to be a pretty deep reason. Then again, it's simply my take, so i'm sure not everyone will feel the same. Just take everything with a pinch of salt, and note that i'm using this story to explore the developments within the characters.**

**Uh, with regards to the formatting, the lines without spaces felt cluttered to me, so i used the "."s to mark the passing of time. As this is probably the only chapter with so many time skips, please bear with it for now as it is essential to the flow of the story. Thanks!  
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**As with all my stories, concrit is encouraged and accepted, but flames simply show one's immaturity. **

**Hope you'll enjoy the fic. (:**

**Disclaimer: Standard procedure applies - i don't own any of these characters.**

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><p>"Misaki," a gentle voice called out to the little girl who was sprawled on the floor, furiously adding colour to a sheet of white paper. "What are you drawing?"<p>

The three year old paused in her work, turning to see her father leaning against the doorframe, a tender look in his eyes as he watched her. Misaki's features burst into a huge grin as she jumped up excitedly, pulling the man into the room to appraise her masterpiece.

"Tou-san! Come see, I drew us!"

He scanned the child's drawing, his mouth curving into a thoughtful grin. Scraggly stick figures were etched carefully onto the paper with a thick black crayon whilst pink, blue, red and yellow patches were scribbled messily across the white background. This was no work of art, but to him, it was beautiful regardless.

Later on, this picture would be stuck onto the fridge, displayed for all to see his fatherly pride. And much later on, across time which none of them even dared to dream about, it would be stored into a box under a bed in memory of happier days, not taken out until another distant sunny day.

"This is you, tou-san! An' then that's kaa-san an' me!" his eyes followed her dictation, led by her chubby finger pointing out the various oblong shapes on her picture.

"It's really beautiful, Misaki," he tousled her hair enthusiastically, causing her to squirm away indignantly. "But what are you holding in there?" An indistinct oval that at best could be described as a blue egg across the arms of stick figure-Misa had caught his eyes, and no matter how far he stretched his imagination, he could not figure out what it was.

"Dat's da baby!" Misaki grinned proudly. "I'm carryin' her cos she's my lil sista' an' I'll protect her!"

"Ohh?" he raised an eyebrow, not in disbelief but in amusement; his little girl was a strong one, she'd definitely grow up to be a fighter. "Your sister is a lucky one. She's going to have the best elder sister ever, isn't she?"

.

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Misaki wasn't stupid. At thirteen, she was already a precocious child who understood more about the world than most of her peers usually did. She was also a very perceptive and observant young miss with a great attention for details. Sometimes she hated being like that. It made her more aware of the pain and trouble going on in the house. She didn't think that Suzuna realized anything yet. She hoped that Suzuna was still blissfully unaware. Her little sister should not have to suffer the internal turmoil that Misaki herself felt. Sometimes she was a little jealous of how her sister was so sheltered, but most of the time she felt strongly protective about the younger girl. She was the only one who could do so with their current situation.

It had been going on for months already. Her mother's hushed sobs behind the bedroom door; her father's gentle but frazzled voice trying to calm her down, promising feverishly that "everything would be alright".

_Yet nothing was._

No one told her anything. In the day, her parents insisted on pretending that everything was fine, not realizing that she could see the anxiety laced behind their overly bright smiles. She had pieced everything together already, putting evidence against evidence until she was sure of her conclusion.

For several years now, Ayuzawa Hiroki had been running a small but booming business selling stocks and shares. Unfortunately, with the recession, the company had never quite been able to recover its losses despite having taken up huge loans. And now, it was spiraling into bankruptcy with a truckload of debts to pay off.

That night, long after the heated discussion in her parents' room had finally ceased, Misaki was still trying to fall asleep. When sleep finally claimed her, it was a fitful one, riddled with vivid images of her family's house, assets and everything being taken away, and then finally, her family slowly starving on the streets. The sight of Suzuna's small form trembling and coughing on the ground was too much for her, and she woke screaming, perspiration beaded across her forehead.

"Misaki?" the silhouette of her father in his pajamas appeared at her door as light flooded the room. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Tou-san…" Misaki gritted her teeth, trying to steady her breaths. She was really too old to be waking up the household because of nightmares. Too old to have her father come and tuck her in. Too old to believe that with a word, all her problems and monsters would fly away.

"Don't worry, Tou-san's here now, all your troubles will disappear, okay?" he walked over to smooth her hair down. _Yes definitely too old for that now…_

"I know," Misaki blurted out suddenly, her face red hot with emotion.

Hiroki simply gave her a puzzled look, unsure about what exactly Misaki 'knew'.

"I know about your company, tou-san. I know how it's not been doing well for some time now…I know that you and kaa-san have been worried about it for ages. I know about all the debt that we owe people. Tou-san, what's going to happen to us?" by now, Misaki was gripping on to her blanket tightly, eyes downcast. She would not cry. No, she would not. She was strong, she had to be strong. Otherwise, how else would her family be able to trust her? How else would she be able to help them?

Her father shifted in his seat at the edge of her bed, eyes wide in shock and fumbling to say something that seemed right. Grasping at the few straws in his head, he pulled out his one trump card.

"Don't worry about it, Misaki, tou-san will do his best to solve everything. Just trust me, everything will turn out fine!" he plastered on a grin that radiated more confidence than he felt, his only intention to quell the fears of his precious daughter.

"Really?" she hated how weak she sounded right now, but truth be told, she really wanted to believe what her father said. Believe once more that everything would be okay just because he said so. Like when she was a child and a simple promise that he would solve her problems would clear her doubts like sunshine after rain.

"Pinky promise!" Hiroki said hurriedly, sticking out his little finger.

"Geez, I'm not a kid anymore," Misaki protested, her face hot and flustered. But she still hooked her smaller finger around his bigger, sturdier one, choosing once more to believe his bright smile and cheerful brown eyes. After all, he was her father: The hero of her childhood who was still able to do anything. _(…right?)_

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It was a new school year. Winter had given way to spring, but there was still little change in Misaki's family situation. If anything, everything seemed to be going downhill. More letters from banks came, more mysterious appearances from men in formal attire whose visits more often than not ended in her parents bowing desperately and apologetically.

"Misaki-chan, are you sure you're fine? Ever since the new year started, you've been looking so tired. You're barely eating anything for lunch as well!"

It was true. Misaki had been scrimping and saving, cutting as much corners as she could. She didn't need lunch, she told herself. Three meals a day was just a waste of money. Two nourishing meals were good enough…

"Oh no! Azuyawa-san, could it be? Are you suffering from some terminal disease that sucks your energy from you as the days go by? Ayuzawa-san! Why? Although we've only just met this year, I really wanted to be friends…Don't die, Ayuzawa-san! Don't die!"

Misaki could only laugh faintly along as her other friends chided the commenter for her melodrama.

Yet it was true as well. Misaki was now gaunt and haggard, a pale shadow in comparison to her former vibrant self. Her nights were now spent calculating costs and expenses; spent eavesdropping outside her parents' door to find out more about their current situation. All the cumulated stress and responsibilities she took upon herself was not good for her health. But still, she held on because she believed that her father would pull through eventually. All she was doing was helping to ease her parent's burden.

"Anyway, Misaki, have you heard about the cute new café by the train station? Do you want to visit it together after school today?"

Misaki felt her eyes light up at the prospect of sweets and leisure time spent with her friends. Everything a normal girl would want. And then she felt her eyes dim once more, as she wilted a little more inside. It was not possible for her to waste time and money on such frivolous activities anymore.

"Sorry…I've got something on later…" she could only mumble, barely able to keep the disappointment from seeping into her tone.

Misaki was thinking of getting a job, even if it was forbidden in her school's regulation. The extra income would definitely help with the family finances. Maybe she should even quit schooling after graduating this year. At least she would be able to save the money from school fees, and propel Suzuna to a good education.

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The whispers and stares around her were a constant nagging frustration that gave Misaki a migraine.

Word had got out that her family was in heavy debt. This just added to the already backbreaking burden Misaki carried. Now, she had to deal with spiteful teasing from the meaner students and even worse – the sympathetic looks and comments from teachers and classmates. She was too prideful to even think of accepting help from anyone, and every look of pity she caught simply caused her to lay another brick in the fast growing wall around her heart.

"Hey, Misaki, Mom packed an extra big bento for me today, want to share?"

"Misaki-chan! Let's go to that pastry store! My treat!"

"Ayuzawa-san, if you need help with anything, let us know, alright?"

Sympathy. The most painful trial she had to go through. There was no way to rightfully defend herself from these 'attacks'. After all, they were supposedly a sign of others' kindness. In cases like this, she was expected to graciously accept, be grateful, and maybe even eternally indebted to them.

At least with personal attacks, she could strike back – very much like a porcupine when touched. She could be as aggressive as she wished to without being called names like "ingrate" and "snob". She could protect herself that way.

"Look, look, it's the beggar Ayuzawa! I heard that her father's so useless he got the whole family into debt! Since they're from the same bloodline, I'm sure she's as useless! Hahaha –ugh!"

What was a cruel whisper in tones not hushed enough turned into screams of pain as the boy was hefted up by his collar by a girl two thirds his size. He crashed heavily into the lockers, eyes widened in surprise.

"Don't you dare say anything about my father, bastard. Shut the hell up and get out of my sight!"

Her speech had become rough and unladylike. Yet, this was the most effective way of making herself look tough. Preventing those bullies from getting to her. It got her nicknames like "demon" and "sheman". It gave her a reputation. She used it to her full advantage.

It was not enough.

There were still many out there who were physically stronger than a young girl with a petite frame and hunger-wrecked body. She found out one hot summer's day that having an acid tongue and crass vocabulary as a protective shell was not enough to defend herself against bullies – especially the boys who had taken offence in her accusatory glare and sharp words. Despite having raw strength and determination, it got her nowhere when she was faced up with thugs who actually knew what they were doing with their fists.

She had been left sporting a magnificent bruise on her left cheek and a bleeding nose – things she worked hard to cover up from her family.

After that experience, she snuck into the backyard of an akido training school in her neighbourhood every night, watching and learning defensive maneuvers through the glass windows. She made sure she practiced the counter attacks so she could be strong when she had to.

Ayuzawa Misaki was no weakling to be pushed over easily. This was the lesson she burned into the minds of anyone who had come for her after that.

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.

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He'd left.

Just like that, Ayuzawa Hiroki disappeared from their lives.

All that was left behind was a note saying: _"It'd be better for you guys if I weren't around. Sorry, I'm a useless man."_

Her mother had collapsed that day, and was bedridden for a week.

It was then that Misaki realized how frail her mother was, and how it was definitely up to her to keep the family alive. While new burdens seemed to have been placed upon her already loaded shoulders, she felt new determination arising. The chains that had bound and suffocated her old self now fell away with the final molting of her young and naïve past. No longer would she believe in others or rely on someone else's weak promise of strength. She would only believe in her own strength and determination.


	2. Acceptance

__**Merry Christmas! (Or more like Boxing Day :X)**

**Short chapter, hope you enjoy it (:**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to the respective publishers and creators.  
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><p><em>"Shiiiiiit..."<em>

"President?"

There, at the alley outside the back door of Maid Latte, stood the one and only Usui Takumi. And there, coming out of the door of Maid Latte was the demon president and boy hater of Seika High. In a freaking_ maid_ costume. Oh, the irony.

Misaki contemplated turning away and giving the "i'm-sorry-but-do-i-know-you" excuse, but goodness knew she couldn't lie to save her life. And heck, this fellow was probably waiting for any opportunity to get back at the hundreds of times she had told him off for making girls cry. Then she thought about diplomacy. You know - persuading him to pretend this had never happened through coercive measures like her fist. Or perhaps she could actually make him conveniently forget seeing her due to amnesia? Like say - accidentally tripping and sending a brick tumbling into his head.

The thoughts were only getting more ridiculous in her head, and so her flight instinct kicked in as she mechanically turned back into Maid Latte, shutting the door behind her.

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"Misa-chan!"

He was here again. This was his saddistic, abnormal way of getting back at her, she was sure. Why else would he come every single day? Tormenting her with his flippant smile and his constant "Misa-chan's"? Manager swore it was love, but Misaki knew better.

The three idiots were here everyday as well, their squeals and fantasies an annoyance when she was trying to work. Still, it was slightly better (only slightly, she evaluated) than having them spill her secret to the whole school. But honestly, in comparison to Usui, they were hardly a problem. They could be ignored, made to fade into the background. Usui never could. That person just stood out too much. She could always feel his presence aggravating her even when she was in the rest room, away from his constantly watching eyes. It was like a fly in the room that could not be gotten rid of.

Maybe she should have just gone with the hit-his-head-with-a-brick-and-pass-it-off-as-an-accident plan back when she still had a choice...

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They'd hugged, they'd kissed and they'd even confessed to each other. Kinda... No matter how much Misaki wanted to, the time for denying the fact that she liked Usui freaking-perverted-alien Takumi was past. The question she wanted to know now was, where did they stand in the boundaries that defined couples? He hadn't exactly asked her out, and neither had she. As a matter of fact, the main issue was really more about whether she was ready to get herself into a relationship. To trust a man again. Oh, there was definitely no doubt that she _liked _him, oh no - his existence filled such a huge part of her heart that she felt sickened with her own emotions. The thing was that, like and trust were different things altogether.

Trusting in him meant that she'd be relying on him. Believing whatever promises he made. From what she knew, men were the most skilled of all homosapiens in making empty promises, and then disregarding them later on. Breaking them with the ease of stepping on a twig.

Her father was the best example, of course.

But Usui was different. _(Wasn't he?)_ Even her mother had acknowledged that in words that all but outright told her to go for the guy. Then again, her mother was very trusting. Too trusting, in fact. Both a pro and a con, Misaki was sure, but not something she'd want. After all, that was partially what had gotten them in this mess...trust in an ass who was incapable of keeping his promises.

Was Usui like that, too? A man full of lies that he was unable to carry out?

No. No, he wasn't. Even if everything else about Usui was shrouded with mystery, Misaki knew that he wasn't one who made empty promises. Usui wasn't a liar.

In fact, if anyone - any guy - were to understand her fear of trust, it'd be Usui. He was even more broken than her. Raised like a machine and brought up to believe that he was unwanted by anyone. Taught to view the world with skepticism - those who approached him were money sucking whores, no one wanted him for who he was. Learned that there was no one he could trust but himself, because it was him against the world.

Misaki knew all of that. And with the knowledge came the rising wish to protect this broken man she liked - no, loved - so much.

There, she had found her answer. The issue for now wasn't about trusting him anymore. What she would rely on - like she had been doing for years - would be her own strength. With that she would protect him and protect her own relationship.

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><p><strong>One question: Would you like to see Misaki's father return?<strong>


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